Photo: MeJudice, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons¹²

Coen Teulings

Dutch economist (born 1958)

Coenraad Nicolaas (Coen) Teulings (born 13 December 1958) is a Dutch economist and distinguished professor at Utrecht University. He was formerly professor of Economics at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Cambridge and former Director of the Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, as well as Chairman of Merifin Capital.²

From Wikipedia’s article on Coen Teulings (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Dec 13, 1958.¹

Companies

Uitgeverij en Drukkerij CebemaFounder¹¹

Early life and education

1990University of Amsterdam Doctor of Philosophy³

Career

Occupation: economist.⁷

2006 to 2013Director, Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis⁴
Date not recordedWorked at University of Amsterdam⁴
Date not recordedWorked at University of Cambridge⁴
Date not recordedWorked at Erasmus University Rotterdam⁴
Date not recordedFounded Uitgeverij en Drukkerij Cebema⁵
Date not recordedMontague Burton Professor of Industrial Relations⁶

Personal life

BornDec 13, 1958, Rijswijk⁸
CitizenshipKingdom of the Netherlands⁹

Legal issues and controversies

Statement on Euro benefits

In 2011, the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) conducted a study on the effects of the euro on the Netherlands and published it, among other things, in the book "Europe in Crisis." One of the study's conclusions was that the euro may have brought a benefit equivalent to a week's salary, but that this is uncertain. In an interview with De Telegraaf in May 2014, Teulings, the former director of the CPB, stated that this conclusion should be taken with a grain of salt. His statement led to criticism from economists and politicians. For example, economist Lex Hoogduin found Teulings' comments damaging to the credibility of the CPB.

Unbecoming behavior

In his dealings with colleagues, Teulings has a reputation for pushing the boundaries of decency. For example, in 2018, he treated Irene van Staveren rudely during the plenary session of the annual Economists' Day.

Herstel-NL

Teulings was involved with Herstel-NL, an organization with a plan to reopen the economy instead of the lockdown imposed in February 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Teulings defended the proposal, which drew widespread criticism, including on the television program Op1. The idea of transferring vulnerable people to "safe zones" was particularly unpopular. Teulings was accused of neglecting his role as an independent scientist. A few days after the plans were presented, Teulings announced that he would no longer be active for Herstel-NL.